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July 8, 2010

[For all of these reasons, the extreme poverty and hopelessness of the people of Pakistan is of global importance. OSDI believes the only way to produce meaningful and long-lasting changes in the current conditions of Pakistan is by giving the local people the skills, tools and support to enable them to create their own sustainable economic foundations in accordance with the local realities of their lives.]

By Maheen Haider and Aasim Siddiqui

The Organisation for Social Development Initiatives (“OSDI”) believes that much of the social conflict in our world today can be resolved by alleviating poverty and ensuring sustainable development so that the poor can bring themselves out of the poverty and find the means to live a life free from frustration and hopelessness. In this spirit, OSDI has been established to empower the poor by providing them economic opportunities along with the necessary skills and resources to break away from the inter-generational cycle of poverty. From this perspective we share the Himalayan Consensus approach, advocating local solutions to sustainable development.

The Challenges in Pakistan

Pakistan daily faces the challenges of poverty and hopelessness. These twin ‘evils’ have created social instability and an incubator for terrorism as the marginalized seek identity with groups of equally frustrated and hopeless individuals. Pakistan is ranked 101 in the Human Poverty Index, as 60.3% of the country’s population lives below the poverty line. (Human Development Report, 2009). Eighty percent of Pakistan’s impoverished (approximately 50 million people) live in rural areas having an average annual income of just US$400. (World Bank Report 39303-PK, 2007)

In the last decade Pakistan has seen tremendous economic development and has more than doubled the size of her economy. Despite these economic strides, the inequality gap has widened. Rural areas, in particular, have not experienced the same development as the municipalities. Pakistan’s rural areas are characterized by minimal or no access to education, derelict public health infrastructures such as clean drinking water and sanitation, and lack of medical facilities. Many areas lack running water, gas and electricity. These conditions have created a population with low literacy rates and very few marketable skills. The vast majority of the rural poor subsist by employing traditional methods of agriculture and animal husbandry to meet their basic food needs.

This population is also acutely susceptible to any change in Pakistan’s broader economy and social and political situation. The unprecedented hike in prices of food and fuel in the last few years has pushed even more people into poverty. Also, this population is often faced with unaffordable medical bills due to lack of basic preventative health care and unsanitary living conditions. Families often face no choice but to incur debt which in many cases cannot be repaid in a lifetime. Children who have been fortunate enough to live near a school are removed from school to help the family as day laborers. The ultimate result is a vicious cycle of inter-generational poverty.

This environment of economic and social deprivation in the rural areas causes frustration and aggressive behaviour amongst the poor, especially the youth. Many have no choice but to turn to illegal or extremist activities to survive and generate income. Migration from the rural areas to the city intensifies the economic pressure in the immature urban financial systems. The pervasive sense of agitation and desperation among the poor results in increased crime rates and eventually leads to social and political instability.

Our Principles

As a local NGO, OSDI has adopted two approaches for ensuring sustainable development in the deprived rural areas. Our first approach concentrates on poverty alleviation by implementing Livelihood Assistance Programs for the poor to ensure their skill development and capacity building to enhance their livelihoods. Our second approach focuses on community development projects which revolve around providing basic necessities of life: access to clean water facilities, setting up basic health units, and providing electricity and gas by using affordable renewable energy sources such as wind and biogas. Our projects also emphasize and support the creation of a sense of mobilization and cohesion within local communities. Our programs are designed to provide the poor with the means and tools to create a sense of responsibility and pride to bring themselves out of poverty.

OSDI works with local communities to conduct feasibility studies to identify lower income families and find the gaps in their livelihoods. Our detailed project study entails all aspects of economic inputs, as well as, income generation techniques. We work with these families and develop small livelihood assistance programs that can increase their earnings. These programs help the families to support themselves, avoid the debt trap and eventually provide job opportunities for others. We have developed agriculture and livestock projects for such families and provide skill training and consultative assistance. OSDI has also established micro financing with zero interest rates to provide capital for the poor to create their own enterprises and provides consultation in the structure of these enterprises. OSDI monitors the real results of the projects it supports in the lives of the impacted families. We use this data to adapt projects if necessary. The projects undertaken so far have enhanced the economic activities of the rural poor and have increased their crops productivity per acreage of land. We currently have an upcoming project on health as part of community development. The project focuses on eradicating hepatitis in rural areas of Sindh.

The Future

Pakistan is home to the three majestic mountainous ranges of the Himalayas, Hindukush and Karakorum, and possesses stunning natural beauty. It is one of the rare countries which is blessed by not four but also enjoys a fifth season of Monsoon rainfall. It has been home to many ancient civilizations and cultures, creating a country of varied heritage and tradition. The geographical location of Pakistan also means that its internal economic and social conditions have the possibility to impact many people outside of its borders and directly affect the security of Southeast Asia, China, India and the Middle East.

For all of these reasons, the extreme poverty and hopelessness of the people of Pakistan is of global importance. OSDI believes the only way to produce meaningful and long-lasting changes in the current conditions of Pakistan is by giving the local people the skills, tools and support to enable them to create their own sustainable economic foundations in accordance with the local realities of their lives.